Automatic cassette changing and playing apparatus

ABSTRACT

An automatic cassette changing and playing apparatus for automatically playing a plurality of cassettes one after another by automatically changing them after completion of playing. A predetermined cassette is taken out from a first cassette case in which cassettes yet to be played are housed and moved to a playing position for performance. After completion of performance, the cassette is moved from the playing position to a second cassette case. This cycle is repeated till all the cassettes in the first cassette case have been played.

United States Patent [1 1 Kawaharasaki 1 Sept. 11, 1973 [54] AUTOMATIC CASSETTE CHANGING AND 3,291,323 l2/1966 Pastor 214/6 BA PLAYING APPARATUS 3,419,226 12/1968 Sato t 274/4 E r 3,359,665 l2/l967 Gerry 274/4 F [75] Inventor: Yoichi Kawaharasaki, Kamakura 3 439,127 4/1969 Weigel 27414 F City, Japan 3,589,733 6/1971 Piotrowski 274/4 F 3,463,580 8/1969 Freudenschusz 274/4 F [73] Assgnee- Jain P 3,477,726 11/1969 Laschenski 274 4 F KanagaWa-k", Yokohama clly, 3,582,082 6/1971 Takagi 274 4 F Japan Filedl 1970 Primary Examiner-Louis H. Prince [2]] APPL No: 86,483 Assistant Examiner-Dennis A. Dearing 1 Attorney-Stevens, Davis, Miller & Mosher [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Nov. 5, 1969 Japan... 44/88065 ABSTRACT :3: g jz gg' An automatic cassette changing and playing apparatus p "f for automatically playing a plurality of cassettes one [52] U CI p v I 2.74/4 F 214/6 BA after another by automatically changing them after [51] d 23/12 completion of playing. A predetermined cassette is [58] Field 274,4 taken out from a first cassettecase in which cassettes 2 yet to be played are housed and moved to a playing po- 242/l80 d sition for performance. After completion of performance, the cassette is moved from the playing position [56] References Cited to a second cassette case. This cycle is repeated till all UNITED STATES, ATENTS the cassettes in the first cassette case have been played.

3,603,597 9/1971 Haake 274/4 F 6 Claims, 29 Drawing Figures 67E 65 an"...

e4 66. l9b

PATENTED SEN 1 I975 SHEH on or 1a wn a PATENTEBSEPI 1mm saw us or 18 PATENTEU SEP! 1 1975 PATENTEB SEP] 1 1975 saw 080F18 UQN l PATENTEI] SEP1 1 I975 S EET 09 0F 18 FIG/0 PATENTEBSEH 1 I975 3.758.122

' sum 100F18 F/GJ/ PATENTEUSEPI 1 [97a SHEET 11B? 18 PATENTEBSEP] 1 I975 sum 12 0F 1a FIG/6 PATENTED 1 I973 3.758.122

SNEEI 1611f 18 PATENTED SEP] 1 I973 sum 11 or 18 PATENTEDSEP1 1 I915 3.758.122

I saw mane FIG. 28

y LEVER 2| MOVES.

T LEVER e2 MOVES.

' POSH-UPPLATE s5 MOVES.

posn-oowu LEVER 47 MOVES.

' HEAD SUPPORT PLATE 39 MOVES.

CASSETTE FEED MOVABLE PLATE 56 MOVES.

. o o DELIVERY MEMBER 57 I80 360 MOVES. RATATIO NAL ANGLES OF CONTROL GEAR l9.

AUTOMATIC CASSETTE CHANGING AND PLAYING APPARATUS This invention relates to automatic cassette changing and playing apparatus. More particularly, the invention is concerned with an apparatus for automatically changing and playing a plurality of cassettes successively each of which contain therein a magnetically recorded tape or movie film.

In one apparatus known in the art of automatic playing of cassettes, a plurality of cassettes are piled in a stack in a cassette case and the lowermost cassette is first played. After completion of playing, the lowermost cassette is moved downwardly and removed from the apparatus, and the cassette now in the lowermost position is then played and moved downwardly after completion of playing. This process is repeated until all the cassettes in the case are played.

This apparatus has disadvantages. The cassette being played cannot be observed under direct vision. Difficulty is experienced in taking out a cassette because it is moved downwardly after being played.

A general object of this invention is to provide a novel automatic cassette changing and playing apparatus which obviates the aforementioned disadvantages of the prior art apparatus.

A main object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which permits to automatically change and play a plurality of cassettes one after another.

Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic cassette changing and playing apparatus which permits to readily observe a cassette under direct vision while it is being played.

Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic cassette changing and playing apparatus in which a cassette taken out of a number of cassettes stored in a predetermined position is played in a playing position and moved to a predetermined position after completion of playing. The apparatus is effective to automatically detect the completion of playing of one cassette and perform a next operation.

Another objectof the invention is to provide an automatic cassette changing and playing apparatus which comprises means for taking out a cassette from a first cassette case in which cassettes yet to be played are housed and moving it to apredetermined playing position, and means for moving. a cassette from the playing position into a second cassette case after completion of playing of the cassette in the playing position.

Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic cassette changing and playingapparatus in which cassettes are successively piled in a stack in superposed relation in a cassette case after completion of playing.

Still another objectof the invention is to provide an automatic cassette changing and playing apparatus which comprises means for automatically detecting the position of the trailing. end. of a magnetic tape in the cassette by sensing an increase in the tension of the tape when playing reaches an end.

A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic cassette changing: and playing apparatus which is rendered inoperative when all the cassettes housed in a cassette case have been played.

Additional objects as well as-features and advantages of this invention will become evident from the description set forth hereinafter when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a first embodiment of the automatic cassette changing and playing apparatus according to this invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3 to 5 are perspective views, on an enlarged scale, of a mechanism for starting and stopping essential portions of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 6 and 7 are perspective views, on an enlarged scale, of a mechanism for starting and stopping the control gear section;

FIGS. 8 and 9 are plan views of the means shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 respectively;

FIG. 10 is a front view of the cassette conveyor means;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the cassette case;

FIG. I2 is a perspective view of the control gear;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of "the cassette horizontal conveyor means;

FIG. 14 is a side view of the means shown in FIG. 13;

FIGS. 15 and 16 are perspective views of the means for actuating the head support plate;

FIGS. 17 to 19 are front views of the cassette pushdown means;

FIGS. 20 to 22 are side views of the cassette push-up means;

FIG. 23 is perspective view of the automaticstop means;

FIGS. 24 to 27 are views in explanation, on an enlarged scale, of the essential portions of the means shown in FIG. 23; and 7 FIG. 28 graphically shows the operation of various members in relation to the rotational angles of the control gear.

The present invention will be explained with reference to an embodiment which uses. cassettescontaining magnet tapes available in the market.

In FIGS. 1 and 2 which are a plan view and a front view respectively of the apparatus in its entirety, a cassette case 12 is mounted on a chassis base 10 by four support posts l3, l3.

The cassette case 12 comprises a housing for containing cassettes yet to be played (A), a playing station (B) and a housing for containing cassettes already played (C). The two housings (A) and (C) are of box-shape and have a bottom for placing thereon cassettes yet to be played and cassettes already played respectively. Formed in a side wall and a bottom wall of the housing (A) are an opening 12a and a slit 12b respectively which act as a path of travel of a cassette feed movable plate 56 subsequently to be described.

Mounted on the outer surfaces of the front and rear walls of the housing for containing cassettes already played (C) are four claws 67, 67 each of which is formed of a plate spring and includes an obliquely upwardly directed forward end portion 67a extending through a window 12c into the interior of the housing (C). The claws 67, 67 are each fixed to the front and rear walls in a position such that the forward end portion 67a is disposed at a level slightly higher than that of a cassette as measured from the bottom of the housing (C).

Provided in the playing section (B) is a movable plate 52 which can move up and down as guided by support posts 13, 13. Openings 52a and 52b are formed in the movable plate 52 for cassette reel driving spindles to extend therethrough. The movable plate 52 is normally urged upwardly by the biasing forces of springs 102, 

1. An automatic cassette changing and playing apparatus comprising a first cassette case for housing therein a plurality of cassettes yet to be played piled in a vertical stack of horizontally disposed cassettes, first moving means for taking one cassette after another from the bottom of said stack of cassettes yet to be played housed in said first cassette case and laterally moving the same to a predetermined playing position, a support member movable upwardly and downwardly for supporting the cassettes after they are taken out of said first case and moved laterally into said playing position by said first moving means, a pressing member adapted to press from above against said cassette supported by said support member, pressing means for causing said pressing member to press downwardly against said cassette, means for resiliently connecting said pressing member with said pressing means, said pressing means operating said pressing member through said resilient connecting means, means for successively playing the cassettes attached by said pressing member thereto, a second cassette case for housing therein a plurality of the cassettes after they have been played by said playing means, means for detecting the completion of playing of a cassette by said playing means, means for releasing said pressing member from engagement with the cassette in said playing position after completion of playing of the cassette has been detected by said detection means, second moving means operative in conjunction with said first moving means for laterally moving the played cassette from said playing position to said second cassette case at substantially the same time that said first moving means operates to move an as yet unplayed cassette laterally to said playing position, stopper means for rendering the apparatus inoperative, and means for operating said stopper means when there is no cassette on said support member and when said pressing member is moved below the height a cassette otherwise mounted on said support member would occupy.
 2. The automatic cassette changing and playing apparatus as defined in claim 1 further comprising lever means for controlling the apparatus and taking three positions, said lever means starting the apparatus in the first position of said three positions, means for moving said lever means after the apparatus has been started to the second position of the three positions in which said lever means keep the apparatus playing, means for moving said lever means to the third position of the three positions in which said lever means operate said operating mechanism when there is no cassette on said support member, and means for designating the position of said lever means.
 3. The automatic cassette changing and playing apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said first moving means comprises a feed member adapted to engage the lowermost cassette in the stack of cassettes piled in said first cassette case and deliver the same to said support member and a delivery member adapted to engage the cassette supported by said support member and forward the same to said second cassette case; said detection means comprises a magnetic tape tension increase sensing member maintained in contact with a magnetic tape secured at its trailing end to the reel in the cassette and pivotally movable as the tension of the magnetic tape is increased when playing of the tape is completed, and means for actuating said first moving means by the pivotal movement of said sensing member; and said second cassette case has a push-up member for pushing and moving upwardly a cassette that has been moved thereto, and projecting support means for resiliently supporting a cassette pushed and Moved upwardly by said push-up member.
 4. The automatic cassette changing and playing apparatus as defined in claim 3 in which said first cassette case and said second cassette case are on opposite sides of said support member, and said playing means have a magnetic head, a tape advance member, and means for bringing said head and said tape advance member into engagement with the magnetic tape in said cassette in the playing position in which said cassette is pressed downwardly by said pressing means.
 5. The automatic cassette changing and playing apparatus as defined in claim 3 in which said means for actuating said first moving means comprises a rotary control member for actuating the automatic changing mechanism, a motor driving said rotary control member, a clutch mechanism through which said motor drives said control member, a spring for biasing said clutch mechanism, and locking means for disengaging said clutch mechanism against the biasing force of said spring, said locking means being released from its locking position by the tape tension increase sensing member when said sensing member is actuated by an increase in the tension of the magnetic tape with which said sensing member is maintained in engagement at the termination of playing of the tape.
 6. An automatic cassette changing and playing apparatus, comprising: a first case for housing a plurality of horizontally disposed, vertically stacked cassettes containing magnetic tape on which reproducible signals are recorded; a playing region distinct from said first case in which a selected cassette from said first case may be mounted; reproducing means for reproducing said signals on the tape in said selected cassette; a cassette support member resiliently mounted for vertical movement in said playing region; first moving means for moving the lowermost of said vertically stacked cassettes laterally out of said first case and onto said support member in said playing region; drive means disposed in said playing region below said support member for driving the tape in said selected cassette operatively past said reproducing means; a pressing member having a principal component of motion in the vertical direction in said playing region, said pressing member contacting said selected cassette to urge it downwardly against the biasing action of the resiliently mounted cassette support member and into operative engagement with said drive means and reproducing means; pressing means resiliently connected to said pressing member for moving said pressing member downwardly into contact with said selected cassette; a second case for housing, in a horizontally disposed, vertically stacked arrangement, cassettes which have been ejected from said playing region; a vertically movable member disposed in said second case; first detecting means engaging the tape in said selected cassette and responsive to tension thereon for detecting the completion of play of the tape in said selected cassette; means for releasing said pressing member from engagement with said selected cassette upon the detection of completion of play by said first detecting means; second moving means operative in conjunction with said first moving means for laterally moving the first selected cassette out of said playing region and onto the vertically movable member in said second case at substantially the same time that said first moving member is operative to move a second selected cassette from said first case into said playing region; means for moving said vertically movable member in said second case upwardly to raise said first selected cassette within said second case; means for supporting said first selected cassette in said raised position to permit the entry of subsequently completed cassettes into said second case below said first selected cassette; second detecting means for detecting excess vertical movement of said pressing member below the height a cassette oTherwise mounted on said cassette support member would occupy when no cassette is disposed on said cassette support member in said playing region; and means for stopping the operation of said apparatus in response to the detection of the excess vertical movement of said pressing member by said further detecting means. 